March 14, 2014 marked a historical moment in the history of the Internet where the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) announced its intent to transition key Internet domain name functions to the global multistakeholder community, and has called upon ICANN to convene this multistakeholder process to develop the transition plan.

ICANN, both as the IANA functions administrator and as the global coordinator for the DNS Root Zone, is uniquely positioned to convene this multistakeholder process to develop a plan to transition the USG role. The Internet's global multi-stakeholder community will determine the framework under which the community will hold stewardship over these technical functions. In this regard, ICANN proudly accepts this responsibility with renewed commitment and remains dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stabile and resilient.

To achieve this objective, ICANN will launch a process that allows the global community to design a framework in a bottom-up, multistakeholder manner. The process will be open and include a set of transparent mechanisms. The process will begin with public consultations at the ICANN 49 meeting in Singapore (March 23-27, 2014). The public will be invited to provide input through online forums, webinars, social networks, and ICANN’s industry events. These meetings include ICANN 49 in Singapore (March 23-27, 2014) which will mark the official launch, ICANN 50 in London (June 22-26, 2014), ICANN 51 in Los Angeles (October 12-16, 2014), ICANN 52 in “Location TBA” (March 2015), and ICANN 53 in “Location TBA” (June 2015).

Depending on the progress of this process and flow of community consultation, ICANN and the community could be ready to complete the transition before the current contract with the USG expires in September 2015.

Within our region, ICANN’s and IANA’s relationship with the US Government has long been a debate, and this debate has had its effect on the global Internet Governance dialogue. As means to strengthen both the IG ecosystem and the DNS industry in our region, you are cordially invited and strongly encouraged to participate in this process. For more information, visit www.icann.org.